Arcane Investigations

[i]Please don't read that negative review if you're interested in playing - it made a major plot twist obvious :/ I can give you a summary of the criticism with only very general spoilers: [spoiler]"No deaths and too much woke"[/spoiler]. [/i] I actually love stories with mysteries to find out of, but I don't usually play detective style games because they are all dramatic with murders and stuff. The whole concept also feels a bit, I don't know, worn out to me. So this lighthearted little "mystery comedy" with its fantasy setting was right up my alley. It's short, but I really enjoyed my time with it. The animations, the writing, the sound design (though a bit too electronic for my taste) - everything seems to be professionally done [strike]except the marketing bit I guess[/strike]. It also pretty much oozes "we're establishing a world to base more games in" and I have no objections. One of my favourite details was the character from a tree-like race sprouting different flowers depending on the mood of her current dialogue. I was able to identify 7 different expressions supported by vegetation :D Gameplay is very simple. You click on everything, advance dialogues, make some decisions. You can activate an auto-read function and adjust its speed. During the trial you have to pick the relevant pieces of evidence, but you can get hints and try again. If you forgot to collect some evidence or don't feel like searching everything and exhausting all dialogue options, an assistant will take care of it. And if you really didn't want that whole puzzle part, you can choose to skip it (manually for each section) and just read the story. From what I've gathered there's technically only one ending. If you're an "it's the journey, not the destination" kind of person then you might still want to explore different options though. There are some decisions that affect dialogue lines throughout the game. The order in which you investigate can also change/add minor dialogue lines. AND you can actually influence some of the outcome behind the scenes. There's a dilemma involved, and things leave comedy grounds for some actually touching dialogues. To get this branch: [spoiler]choose to talk to Zircon during the trial recess, and preferably also for the final conversation[/spoiler]. There's honestly not much I disliked about this game. I found some of the facial expressions a bit exaggerated, but that's not surprising for a cartoony comedy. Loading saves is a bit convoluted. I would have liked to toggle off text shake in addition to screen shake. Apparently this is literally their first game, so this is very promising. Definitely one of those tiny indie releases that I wish would get more attention. * * * If you like chill and story-driven games, check out my curator [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35872486]Peaceful Adventures and Stories[/url]. You're also welcome to join the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/chilladventures]group[/url].

Alright. [i]Arcane Investigations[/i] is done and dusted. I think the product description does a good job of describing this game. [i]It's after midnight on the Quartzway Express, and there's been a MAGICAL CRIME! Investigate the crime scene, question suspects, and defend the accused through unique cross-examination puzzles in this "Phoenix Wright" inspired mystery comedy.[/i] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3669112130 This is at its core a goofy PnC that switches to a courtroom battle pretty early on. Although when I say battle, it's really a bunch of goofballs deciding the guilt or innocence first of a witch named Ismeta and then her entrepreneur brother, Foley. Who happen to be fish people, btw. The magical crime in question is the theft of a Power Gem and the use of teleportation to both enter and exit the safe room from whence it was stolen. You play as Kabiri, who, in keeping with the tone of the game, is a barely competent new investigator on a train to be officially hired as such by the Magisterium Bureau of Investigation. Tomorrow in fact. But, of course, a crime did happen on the train. Oberon, your nemesis for this little courtroom drama, suspects Ismeta of committing the crime and basically arrests her to immediately stand trial in a makeshift courtroom. Oberon, a bird man, will be the prosecutor. Kabili doesn't think Ismeta looks guilty and makes the mistake of saying that to Oberon, whereupon Oberon assigns Kabili to be her defense attorney. And of course, courtroom hijinks ala Ace Attorney ensue. The devs really leaned into this a bit, and unabashedly so. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3669112195 Other characters include the adjudicator for these proceedings, a floating automaton named Zircon; and your defense assistant, an empath named Willa, who will be able to help you if you get stuck. So, initially, you will start by searching various rooms for clues and talking to everybody involved, also for clues to help defend Ismeta. Once you've wrapped all that up, it's time to get these proceedings underway. Oberon, the prosecutor, will present his case to Zircon, a little bit at a time. After each of Oberon's moments, Zabili will have an opportunity to look through what Oberon just said, find an inconsistency based on the clues you have gathered, and then present a counterargument. Rince and repeat until the game reaches the epilogue. It's a fun and yet simple gameplay loop, really. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3669112176 And in this game, dialogue is where the developers really hung their hat. It's actually well thought out, but also goofy as hell and pretty ridiculous overall, lol. Super charming and probably could be considered cozy as well. Zabili waffles between complete uncertainty and absolute over confidence, lol. As does Oberon. The rest of the characters all have their time to shine of course, but they have less highs and lows personality-wise. I will note that it is actually impossible to fail in this game. If you select the wrong clue or dialogue snippets, you get to do them over until you figure out the correct pairing. So, it's not really a game that presents a challenge. Because as mentioned, it's really all about the story, and the gameplay is simply the vehicle to drive you through said story. And actually, this game really kind of has some Saturday Morning Cartoon vibes and pacing, for those of you old enough to remember them. The graphics have a warm and vibrant color palette with nice set pieces and also that cartoon meets comedy point and click adventure vibe. Character designs are fun, and the graphics in general do a great job of making this game look completely cozy and charming. Which it is, of course. I think it probably actually took me around an hour to complete the game. Which in my estimation was a good length for it. You can get in and get out, feel really good about what you just experienced, and also look forward to the next instalment, which is clearly the developer's plan based on how the game ends. It's not really a cliffhanger, but instead simply the next logical step after concluding this case. I think it will end up being a fun series should they be able to move forward with this IP. So yeah, this game is a pretty easy recommendation. $4.99 is a fair price given the obvious time and love the devs put into this game, but of course if it can be had for $3.49 like it's on sale for at the moment of this writing, then even better! Either way, if you want a silly, cozy and fun little courtroom game to kill an hour or so, this game is absolutely worth a look. [b]I received this license via our IndieGems Curator program.[/b] [code]If you found this review helpful and would be interested in supporting my Curator group, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32549618/]Robilar's Reviews[/url], it would be appreciated. Cheers.[/code] [code]Also follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] for more reviews like this one.[/code]

[h1]Objection! XD[/h1] [h2]Introduction[/h2] What happens when you combine a mystery comedy inspired by the [i]Phoenix Wright[/i] series with the magical? You get [i]Arcane Investigations[/i], the first game developed and published by What's All That Racket. You take on the role of Kabili, the newest arcane investigator, who's on his way to the Magisterium although he has his doubts. He's having trouble sleeping when he suddenly hears a noise on the train that he's on. After deciding (or not deciding lol) to change into his clothes, he hurries to investigate the source of the noise, only to discover that he's stumbled upon a crime scene in which the power gem, a valuable artifact, has been stolen, and Oberon, a prosecutor, is dead set on pinning the crime on an innocent woman. Kabili has this feeling that the criminal is someone else. Feeling annoyed, Oberon challenges Kabili to defend the woman and find out the truth behind the case. Can Kabili rise to the challenge and bring the criminal to justice? With the gameplay, it is a combination of visual novel and point-and-click elements. You have choices presented, and while a lot of them are mandatory in order to thoroughly investigate crime scenes, a few are optional in that Kabili can choose to get to know Oberon better or stick to himself. With the point-and-click elements, you can learn about the various items in the crime scene and other places. Since this is a [i]Phoenix Wright[/i] inspired game, there has to be a trial, and yes, it's onboard the train. As Kabili, you have to cross-examine witnesses and find flaws in their statements, using items during the investigation part of the game. At the time of this review, no Steam achievements or trading cards are present, and the game won't count towards a user's global total until it's out of "Steam is learning about this game". [h2]Review[/h2] I'm a huge fan of the [i]Phoenix Wright[/i] series, which reminds me that I should get back to playing some more of the games. Anyway, when I learned that this game is inspired by that series but has a magical twist to it, I was definitely onboard (no pun intended XD) and wanted to play it on the sooner side. First, I enjoyed the story and characters a lot. Kabili is such a funny main character but has good intuition when it comes to determining a person's character. I like how he stands up to Oberon, who is clearly inspired by Miles Edgeworth, and even though he is scared to take on his first case, Kabili is willing to do it. There's such a great cast of characters, such as the stiff, edgy Oberon and Willa, the happy, laid-back empath who also works at the Magisterium. With the story, I enjoyed witnessing the case unfold, from Kabili finding clues to bringing the true culprit to justice. For those who are looking for a minor bit of romance, [spoiler]the game hints at a yuri coupling, and based on the characters, it will probably be obvious as to who they are[/spoiler]. With the ending, it leaves off on a cliffhanger, and I'm hoping that the developer will create a sequel to this game. ^^ With the gameplay, I found it fun, especially with learning about the various characters and the tidbits that Kabili discovers about items with the point-and-click elements. In regards to the trial, it's pretty doable to figure out statement flaws although finding the right evidence to back up Kabili can be a bit challenging. Thankfully, Willa can help Kabili out, such as providing hints to help find statement flaws. Also, you can choose to skip these trial parts, but I chose not to do so, as I wanted the full trial experience. As others have pointed out, there are no Steam achievements, but the game was very enjoyable, nonetheless. Also, I should point out that it would be nice if on the main menu screen, there was a continue or load button in addition to the start, preferences, etc. I found it a bit confusing to find out where to load my save file, but I figured out that I had to go through the preferences section. As for the art, it has this cartoony, colorful style. The sprites and backgrounds are drawn and colored well, and they're a wonderful accompaniment to the witty dialogue and narrative. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3473083360 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3473083443 I only wish that there had been some CGs since I do enjoy looking at them and they capture pivotal moments, whether they be in the present or in flashback. Regarding the music, the tracks are fun to listen to. They give off that vibe that you're really in the middle of investigating a crime and afterwards, doing all you can to prove the innocence of Kabili's client. No voice acting is present, but I think that's fine, as I prefer to imagine the voices of the characters. [h2]Conclusion[/h2] Would I recommend [i]Arcane Investigations[/i]? If you're looking for an investigative type game with comedy and magical elements and you don't mind the lack of achievements, then I think it's worth checking out. For the developer's first game, it's a lovely gem (again, no pun intended lol) and I hope that more people will give it a chance. For the asking price, it might be a bit pricey, considering that it took me around 1.5 hours to complete the game. It's definitely worth it on a sale. Finally, I'd like to give a major thank you to What's All That Racket for the review copy. It was such a delight to play this game, and as I mentioned earlier, I'd love for a sequel. ^^ [quote]For more detailed, fully complete, high quality reviews like this, please follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44702020/]The Introverted Gamer[/url], prioritizing heart and soul always. ^^[/quote]

This game does a fantastic job of drawing you into its world right from the start. One of the first things that stood out to me was the sound design, the sound effects are really well done, and they add so much to the emotional weight of the story. You can really feel the tension, the sadness, or the joy that the characters are experiencing, which makes everything hit a little harder. The music is good too and fits the atmosphere nicely, although after a while it did start to feel a bit repetitive. A little more variety in the soundtrack could have even better. Visually, the game has its own personality. The art style isn't the typical visual novel look, but that’s actually one of the things I appreciated the most. It still feels polished and professional, but with a style that fits the mood and themes of the story perfectly. It really helps set the tone and makes the experience feel a bit more special compared to other visual novels that tend to look very similar. The story itself is another strong point. It’s not your usual, predictable plot; it feels fresh, and there are several moments that genuinely surprised me. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded, instead of dumping a ton of exposition on you at once, the game lets you discover things gradually alongside the main character. This approach makes you feel more connected to the world and to what was happening, like I was truly living the experience rather than just reading about it. There are also some interesting gameplay elements that you don’t usually see in visual novels. For example, there’s an inventory system that adds a small but meaningful layer of interactivity, along with the option to investigate around the room and inspect objects, which is necessary for the story. It’s not overly complicated, but it gives you something more to do and adds a little extra depth to how you interact with the story. I also loved the hidden, subtle humor throughout the game, clever little jokes and comments that made me smile and showed that the developers really cared about adding personality to the experience. That said, there are a few areas where the game could improve. While the world and story are fascinating, I sometimes wished there had been a bit more explanation about the environment and the rules of the world. There were moments where it felt like I was supposed to already understand certain things, which left me feeling a little lost. A few extra scenes or bits of dialogue to flesh out the worldbuilding would have made the experience even richer. Also, while it’s definitely not a dealbreaker, I think it would have been really interesting if the game had achievements. It feels like the kind of story where finding hidden scenes or making certain choices could be rewarded, and achievements would have added a nice layer of replayability for players who like to 100% their games. [quote=][b] For more reviews, check my[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45284670/] Curator's Page [/url][/b][/quote]

Important caveat: Arcane Investigations is exactly one case. You can complete it in about an hour to ninety minutes. Whether that's enough for the money is a value judgment best left up to you. But it's a good case! Arcane Investigations has gameplay that will be instantly familiar to fans of the Ace Attorney series, but with a twist of wizardry. Spotting how the mechanics of the magic system works and interacts with the facts of the case is a nice change of pace from the mundane details of real-world murder. I hope the developer continues with the project. A full game of several cases (it wouldn't hurt to follow Ace Attorney's footsteps by making five) would likely be well worth a higher price.

Cute little detective visual novel.

One small case but artwork is cute and the dialog is funny. Mechanics are fairly straightforward. My biggest suggestion would be to have an option to load from the front page instead of having to go into the settings each time. Also, it doesn't seem to remember preferences like having the screenshake turned off. In my case, I noticed a weird flickering with the lighting and it seems to go away when I turn off the screenshake. I talked to the creator and it had never come up in testing so it might be an issue on my end. Regardless, turning off the screenshake seemed to have stopped it so I still liked the game over all. A nice tribute to the Ace Attorney genre.

Built an interesting world with neat characters.I hope they continue making more and building out the world more. A lot of potential. Short and sweet for a first outing

[H1]Magical Magistrate? Sorcerous Seeker?[/H1] Damn solid little mystery game! I'm not sure how this would extrapolate to something longer or more complicated, but if you're down for a bitesized cozy mystery with a charming cast and just enough puzzling to make you think, Arcane Investigations is right on the money. Would love to see more!

Arcane Investigations is a short (roughly an hour for a first playthrough) and pretty straight-forward detective mystery, where you're a newcomer who has their first court case thrown at them before they're even officially hired. As a result, bumbling around with evidence in cross-examinations makes sense story-wise, and I definitely did! The art is fantastic, I really enjoy the characters. Willa is an absolute highligt there, she's so BEAUTIFUL! The soundtrack is decent enough, it's cool that the music switches up every now and then, but the soundscape never takes center stage for me, fading into the background to allow easy focus on the story. Only minor gripe I have is that there is no skip button for replays. And I want to see what changes when I talk to different people, because there are situations where you have to pick and choose someone! Nothing else to do but click my way through the case again to see the branching conversations (although there are options to skip cross-examinations at least).